1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to media presentation. More specifically, the present invention relates to summarizing a body of media.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bodies of media include text-based, video-based, and audio-based media as well as multimedia and video games. In many instances, bodies of media include a story-line. Examples of story-line based bodies of media include text-based media such as an eBook, video-based media such as a movie or television program, and audio-based media such as books on tape. Non-story-based media such as songs, instructional media products, news programs may also comprise a body of media. Additionally, a given body of media may include a collection of media. For example, a body of media may include a series of books or movies, or an entire season of a television program. Moreover, a particular body of media may also include a portion of a media unit such as a portion of a book, movie, or song.
Presently, available summaries for bodies of media are limited to pre-composed summaries. An example of such a summary includes recaps of previous episodes placed at the beginning of television programs or a ‘teaser’ at the end of such a program with respect to a forthcoming episode. These summaries are contrived by producers or marketeers based on some general preconception of what would satisfy a typical consumer in order to get them to watch a forthcoming episode or to bring them up to date with respect to prior episodes. Unfortunately, preferences and needs of most customers are not boilerplate, thus forcing those customers to accept less-than-desirable summaries. As such, there is a need for providing summaries for bodies of media that are tailored to particular desires of individual consumers.